Sightings January 2002
1st A very cold start to the New Year with little of note in the Observatory area except for one of the wintering Stonechats.
2nd The American Herring Gull was relocated after an absence of several days. This time giving excellent views near the New Lighthouse and two Yellow-legged Gulls were also seen. A small passage at sea included 75 Red-throated Divers.
3rd Another small easterly passage of birds at sea included 66 Red-throated Divers and 475 auks. Both the American Herring Gull, at the fishing boats, and Iceland Gull, at the Patch, were seen.
4th More divers and auks with 108 Red-throated Divers and 370 auks east during the morning.
5th 430 auks flew west during the first hour of daylight but little else was seen.
6th Gulls at the patch provided most of the interest with three Mediterranean Gulls (two adults and a 2nd winter year), two Yellow-legged Gulls and the Iceland Gull all being seen.
7th A similar day to yesterday with the same three Mediterranean Gulls, a Yellow-legged Gull, the Iceland Gull and new birds in the form of five Little Gulls. The most unlikely bird, however, was a Sandwich Tern which lingered offshore throughout the day.
8th A Great Skua was a new bird for the year and the Iceland Gull and two Little Gulls were seen. An early morning movement of auks occurred with 750 in the first 90 minutes of daylight.
9th Another early morning movement of auks occurred with 1610 in the first hour of daylight along with 259 Red-throated Divers. The Iceland Gull and two Yellow-legged Gulls (an adult and a first winter) were seen at the Patch. 

Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull

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10th Gulls continue to provide most of the interest the American Herring Gull, Iceland Gull and three Yellow-legged Gulls (all adults) being seen
11th The American Herring Gull and Iceland Gull were seen and a Chiffchaff was feeding in bushes at the edge of the Long Pits.
12th A Velvet Scoter flew east and 297 Red-throated Divers were seen in the first hour of daylight and the numbers of Kittiwake are increasing with at least 100 offshore. The American Herring Gull and Iceland Gull were seen along with an adult Yellow-legged Gull.
13th The American Herring Gull and Iceland Gull were seen and 129 Red-throated Divers flew by and 100 Kittiwakes flew east.
14th The American Herring Gull was seen again near the fishing boats.
15th The Patch again provided most of the interest with the Iceland Gull giving superb views and an adult Little Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull also been seen. A Chiffchaff was also seen at the Long Pits.
Iceland Gull Iceland Gull
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16th Good numbers of divers flew east with 145 Red-throated and one Black-throated Diver being seen, A third-winter Yellow-legged Gull was on the beach but of greater interest was a very small and dark-backed gull which appeared to be show all the features of an adult Baltic Gull.
Baltic Gull Baltic Gull Baltic Gull
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17th No sign of the Baltic Gull but the Iceland Gull is still at the Patch  and there were at least 100 Kittiwakes offshore.
18th Only a brief look at the Patch was possible today but this produced a gull showing many features of a second-winter Caspian (Pontic) Gull. The Iceland Gull, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and 100 Kittiwakes were also seen.
Caspian Gull Caspain Gull Caspian Gull
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19th A Peregrine Falcon was seen and Kittiwakes increased to at least 200 offshore. The Iceland Gull was still at the Patch.
20th Good numbers of birds offshore in poor weather during the morning including 85 Gannets, a Little Gull, 300 Kittiwakes and 400 auks - the latter including a few Razorbills. The Iceland Gull was still present.
21st A reasonable westerly movement of birds at sea following yesterdays rough weather with a three hour seawatch producing 230 Red-throated Divers, 22 Fulmars, 252 Gannets, a Great Skua, three Yellow-legged Gulls, 166 Kittiwake (with about 200 lingering offshore), and just over 900 auks which included 440 Razorbills. Despite the very large numbers of gulls offshore there was no sign of the Iceland Gull.
22nd

The westerly passage of birds at sea continued with large numbers of auks, again including a high proportion of Razorbills, a Black-throated Diver, a Great Skua and a Little Gull.  There was no sign of the Iceland Gull but a check at the fishing boats showed that the bird believed to be an American Herring Gull was still present.

23rd Strong southerly winds and heavy rain during the morning limited observations to seawatching where 2100 Guillemots and 94 Razorbills flew west and four Yellow-legged Gulls were also seen. An immature Pomarine Skua also flew rapidly east.  A check of the sea from the fishing boats later in the day also produced about 500 Guillemots feeding in the bay but there was no sign of the American Herring Gull.
24th Fresh westerly again resulted in very large numbers of Guillemots but with a much reduced proportion of Razorbills. Guillemots totalled some 4000 west and 1000 feeding offshore whilst only 75 Razorbills were seen. A few duck also flew west including three Velvet Scoter. Gull numbers at the Patch increased but little could be found amongst them other than large numbers of argentatus Herring Gulls.
25th A calmer morning saw good numbers of Guillemots, about 500 in an hour, flying east rather than the west of the previous three days. Less gulls at the Patch than yesterday and still nothing of great interest amongst them.
27th Dismal weather throughout the day again restricted observations to the sea. Of note during the day were a Slavonian Grebe, five Great Skuas, a Mediterranean Gull and continuing large numbers of Guillemots and a small proportion of Razorbills. Good numbers of Red-throated Divers and Gannets were also seen throughout the day.
28th Another very windy day. A steady movement of birds occurred until the wind backed to the west with a Red-necked Grebe, 475 Kittiwakes and about 500 Guillemots of note.
29th At least 500 Great Crested Grebes were feeding offshore in the more sheltered water on the east beach and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was roosting near the fishing boats at high tide. A Merlin was new for the year and 250 Kittiwakes flew west.
30th A steady, mainly westerly, movement of birds at sea included 460 Kittiwakes, 350 Guillemots and 200 Razorbills. At least 300 Great Crested Grebes were still feeding offshore and a flock of 58 Turnstones were feeding on the beach below the fishing boats. A Chiffchaff was feeding at the northern end of the Long Pits.
31st Very little movement at sea in the relatively calm conditions. The most significant observation was the flock of Great Crested Grebes which totalled 930 birds. In addition there were another 380 birds just to the north of the Observatory area off Lade.